I am in Tomorrowland
 

I am here! A long journey but easy peasy.

Good call on the Marunouchi Hotel! Absolutely perfect for what I am doing, which is just a nice place to sleep near Tokyo Station to make it easy to arrive from Narita, and easy to leave on the Shinkansen. Thanks Janis.

For anyone who plans to stay here, I easily found the correct station exit which is M13 - it reaches ground level at literally in front of the hotel, however, it is up one flight of stairs. Had I been familiar with the station already I would have looked for escalators to get me to the main level and then walked over from ground level, but, the info map I was looking at seemed like M13 was the closest to the hotel and so that is what I sought out.

Anyway, the hotel is quite nice and a big well appointed room with two beds is reasonable - I haven't checked out yet but it should be under 350 bucks including breakfast.

I was surprised at how early the sun sets. By the time I cleaned up and left the hotel it had just set. I went to Shibuya and saw the infamous crossing. Astounding. I will go back in daylight I think.

I forgot to get cash before heading out and while wandering Shibuya I couldn't decide on a meal. Everything seemed touristy, but that is likely just because of all the food photos. I have to get past "food photos means touristy". Anyway the one place I finally chose only took cash and the only ATM I could find was out temporarily and I decided it was time to get back to the hotel anyway. I ate at one of the many restaurants in Oazo, which is the building attached to the hotel. Very good curry udon noodle soup.

This morning I wandered around, and have already gotten 9K steps in! Wow.

I wandered past the Imperial Palace as well as I could (it is closed but you can walk near the moat). I wandered along Naka Dori, I went to the roof of the Kitte, I went inside the Tokyo International Forum. Just wandering, which is fine for the jet lag.

So far the trains have been very easy to figure out. I will be on the Shinkansen in a few hours - fingers crossed, and thank you for all the tips!

Kyoto this late afternoon... I will have to figure out dinner, should anyone be reading this and have any suggestions in central Kyoto where my hotel is I'm all ears.

More soon...

Glad things are going well and that you selected Marunouchi for your overnight as it's an easy area.

As for Kyoto, I can't remember, off the top of my head, where I ate as I ate a lot in the department stores while staying at the hotel where you will be staying. But, when you walk out the hotel's front door and then turn left and walk about a block to where the little creek comes flowing past, there's an Italian restaurant right there which is quite popular. I ate there one day for an early dinner as I was on my way back to the hotel and just needed a meal. There's also a bakery/cafe almost right next to the hotel and it's always busy and directly across from the hotel there's a Japanese restaurant, next to Burger King. Also, when you go out the hotel door and left, across from the Italian restaurant area and also near the river, there are lots of restaurants.

Happy Travels!

I am in Kyoto and am loving it!

Guenmai, if you were looking for a coffee or tea house where you curl up with either a book or a laptop for a few hours on a rainy day where would you go?

It is going to rain most of the day but I'm going to visit Fushimi Inari anyway in the rain. Afterwards I'll likely want to hang out inside for a while so if you have any favorite hangouts near the hotel let me know!

Thank you an more later... I visited the bamboo forest yesterday - very early, jet lag is good for something!

I may do a tea ceremony.. a good rainy day activity. Assuming I can get in last minute

Glad you're enjoying Kyoto. For a really relaxing place to chill out and have something to drink and really good food, the below place is really nice. When you walk out of the hotel door, go to the right and walk out the block and cross the main boulevard and keep walking straight. When you come to Teramachi Arcade, go to the left and walk until you see the clothing store in the below photo. It's on the right side of the arcade. Walk through the clothing store, to the back and you'll see a stairway on the right side and go up it and that's the cafe. This is not a place that rushes as it can take time to get food and drink to the table, but it's a very relaxing place. This is what I remember from walking there. I think there might be a map connected to the below link.

https://www.insidekyoto.com/mumokute...downtown-kyoto

Happy Travels!

>>Good call on the Marunouchi Hotel! Absolutely perfect for what I am doing, which is just a nice place to sleep near Tokyo Station to make it easy to arrive from Narita, and easy to leave on the Shinkansen. Thanks Janis.<<

Glad it worked out. I really enjoyed my stay there

I just happened to walk past the Keio today, on my way from the Tokyo Metropolitan Bldg to the Shinjuku train station. I'm glad I didn't stay there, I like my hotel location and ROOM so much better! I got a pretty swanky room and I can walk to Golden Gai and Kabukicho which is nice.

I wandered the Shinjuku Gyoen this AM, then the TMB above, did not see Mount Fuji despite a sunny day... then Harajuku wandering and Meiji Shrine... now relaxing at hotel trying to figure out what I would like to do, if anything, before heading out tonight. I have already walked 13K steps by 230 PM and I'm ready to just put my feet up and have a drink. The other day I walked 23K steps, and the day I did the Fushimi Inari shrine I walked 21K steps AND 62-63 flights!

Maybe a boat cruise? Although that isn't near the hotel, maybe I will just wander in Kabikicho a little bit.

I think tonight I will check out the Park Hyatt bar for a drink and then dinner somewhere and then back to my hood for a nightcap. Don't even ask me what I'm going to eat, I have now only two more dinners and I haven't tried all the different types yet. Maybe Yakitori tonight? The food options are paralyzingly overwhelming and I planned nothing. And last night I was surprised that near my hotel a number of them closed by 1030 or so, it seemed.

I had a few drinks in the Golden Gai last night which was fun. Then Korean BBQ near my hotel.

How did Kyoto end up going overall? Where did you end up going to sit, have something to drink and work on your laptop? What's your overall opinion of both Tokyo and Kyoto? Personally, Kyoto is my favorite although I like Tokyo for fashion shopping. Can't wait to get to Tokyo to go on the hunt for the specific Bao Bao that I want. LOL!

Happy Travels!

Hi

I will write more later. I've been on the go constantly. I did not end up sitting around on that rainy day, I kept going. Only so much time! Thank you for that tip, though, I will remember it for next time.

Today is my last day and I suspect I will need a place to sit and do nada mid-day. INCLUDING my travel day (meaning 14 hours on a plane), Sunday, my daily average is 18K steps on this trip! Two days this week I walked 23K steps in one day. That is a ton of walking.

I am going to finally check out a few dept stores - near me is Isetan, Tokyo Hands, Takashimaya. I hope to go back to Shibuya at some point and finally, time permitting, maybe Asakusa. We will see how it goes. I was thinking of a boat cruise because that would be a nice way to sit back and relax but if I do that a few other things will have to go.

So many things to see and because many of them are inside and on different floors, it's not as easy to see them - it's not like a typical NA or EU city where you easily find things right on the street by walking by - no doubt the language has a lot to do with that, too. I can't read all the signs.

More soon.. thanks Guenmai.

Hi Guenmai

Remind me, what part of Kyoto do you usually stay these days, now that you are a regular?

Royal Park Hotel was perfect. I got a large room with two beds, big bath, and the hotel itself was well located. I would stay there again. By the end of the second day I had branched out to the less central parts of Kyoto and quite liked them. The hotel is near two subway stops and getting to the Fushimi Inari shrine could not have been easier. I took a cab to Arashiyama and the train back. I found myself getting up quite early every morning because I wasn't sleeping well and instead of wasting the morning tossing and turning I just got up. Given that I got so little sleep all week long it really is a marvel that I walked that much every day.

I have to get ready for work but I wanted to pop in and ask you about your preferred location in Kyoto, now.

Thank you.

I'm glad that the Royal Park worked out for you. I figured that it would which is why I recommended it and especially for your first time trip to Kyoto and knowing that the subway station is nearby.

As for where I prefer to stay, I like Higashimaya area of Kyoto where both the Hyatt Regency and the Four Seasons are located and which are walking distance from each other. It's very quiet in Higashimaya and a nice, historic area. When I want to go downtown, I just take a taxi. One one taxi trip, I paid 1,480 yen to get from the Four Seasons/ Hyatt Regency area to where Takashimaya Department store is in the heart of downtown. This was in a bit of traffic. To go from either the Four Seasons/ Hyatt Regency area to Isetan Department store, where Kyoto main train station is, on one trip I paid 830 yen. I keep a travel journal and write down prices for everything. Taxi meters in Kyoto, start at 590 yen. Taxi meters in Tokyo start at a lower rate as I also asked there.

How much did a taxi cost you from Arashiyama back to Kyoto?

Happy Travels!

I am so bad, I don't pay attention to cab ride costs. I don't think it came to 50 bucks? But don't quote me on that. I hailed him on the street, I did not have the hotel call him.

OK, Thanks.

Happy Travels!